The Africa Tech Festival returns for its 29th edition, promising to be the most significant gathering of technology leaders, innovators, and policymakers the continent has ever seen.
The 2026 edition will take place from 16 to 19 November at the Cape Town International Convention Centre in South Africa. This is the same venue that has hosted the festival for years, and it remains the beating heart of Africa’s technology ecosystem. With over 15,000 delegates expected to attend, more than 300 exhibitors showcasing their solutions, and over 400 world-class speakers sharing their insights, this event is a must-attend for anyone serious about technology in Africa.
Why This 29th Edition Matters More Than Ever
Africa’s digital economy is growing at an unprecedented pace. Significant capital is flowing into artificial intelligence infrastructure, cloud platforms, subsea cables, fibre networks, and data centres across the continent. Governments are shaping AI policy, and enterprises are moving from strategy to implementation. The 29th edition of the Africa Tech Festival arrives at exactly the right moment to capture this momentum and turn conversations into action.
David Monaghan, Vice President of Africa Tech Festival, captured the spirit of the moment perfectly when he said that the questions facing Africa’s digital economy are becoming more interlinked, more complex, and more urgent. It is no longer simply about whether businesses will adopt AI, move to the cloud, or invest in new infrastructure. The real questions are about how those decisions are made, who benefits from them, and what needs to be in place for them to deliver sustainable growth.
This year’s festival is designed to provide a platform for those critical conversations and to give stakeholders a clearer view of the decisions, partnerships, and investment priorities that will shape the next phase of Africa’s digital development.
The Six Pillars Driving the Conversation
The 2026 festival is structured around six interconnected pillars that reflect where investment is flowing, where innovation is accelerating, and where the biggest opportunities lie. These pillars are not standalone themes. They are deeply connected, and together they provide a comprehensive framework for understanding how Africa’s digital landscape is evolving.
The first pillar is Telecoms and Connectivity. This focuses on expanding access and advancing networks to connect more people, businesses, and communities across Africa. Sessions will examine fibre investment, 4G and 5G deployment, and the growing role of satellite technology in reaching underserved communities.
The second pillar is Data Centres. This addresses the infrastructure behind the digital economy, enabling scale, performance, and the growth of AI. Discussions will explore where new capacity should be built, the role of hyperscaler partnerships, and the need for localised compute to meet data sovereignty requirements.
The third pillar is Artificial Intelligence. This is where the festival moves from hype to real-world application, unlocking productivity, efficiency, and entirely new business models. A panel titled “Beyond Adoption: What Will Make Africa an AI Producer, Not Just a Consumer?” will examine what is required to build globally competitive AI capabilities in Africa. Other sessions will explore the emergence of agentic AI in enterprise decision-making and how companies should prioritise investment across AI, cloud, data platforms, and core systems.
The fourth pillar is Cybersecurity. As digital adoption accelerates and risk becomes more complex, strengthening trust and resilience is critical. This pillar addresses the biggest challenges in cyber resilience, data protection, and cloud security.
The fifth pillar is Startups. This fuels innovation through entrepreneurship, investment, and ecosystem development across the continent. The festival provides a dedicated platform for African SMEs, fintechs, and startups to connect with potential partners, demonstrate their innovations, and boost their visibility within the wider tech ecosystem.
The sixth pillar is Digital Transformation. This helps organisations harness cloud, fintech, and SaaS to modernise operations and drive growth. It is about turning technology into tangible business outcomes.
The Leaders Taking the Stage
The speaker line-up for the 29th edition is a who’s who of African and global technology leadership. Honourable Solly Malatsi, South Africa’s Minister of Communications and Digital Technologies, will deliver the opening address. His department is a strategic partner of the event, and his presence underscores the importance of government collaboration in building an inclusive and globally competitive digital economy.
Global technology companies are well represented. Alex Okosi, Managing Director for Africa at Google, will speak to the scale of investment flowing into the continent’s cloud and AI infrastructure. Emmanuel Lubanzadio, Africa Lead at OpenAI, will focus on AI adoption and readiness across African markets. Robert Koen, Managing Director for Sub-Saharan Africa at Amazon, will bring the perspective of one of the world’s largest cloud and e-commerce companies.
The telecommunications sector is also strongly represented. Enzo Scarcella, Chief Consumer Officer at MTN Group, Norbert Prihoda, Chief Executive Officer of Tunisie Telecom, and Daddy Yogo Ngbabendo, Group Vice President for Solutions and Architecture at Airtel Africa, are among the confirmed speakers. Their insights will be crucial as Africa continues to expand connectivity and deploy new network technologies.
Enterprise leaders are not left out. Thato Sopeng, Vice President of Information Technology at Sasol, and Linda Oniwe, Senior Vice President for TMT at Standard Bank Group, will share their experiences of driving digital transformation within large African organisations. Other confirmed speakers include Bunmi Cynthia Adeleye from Shoprite Nigeria, Dido wa Kalonji from FNB Eswatini, and Faith Burn from the Land and Agricultural Development Bank of South Africa, among many others.
What to Expect on the Ground
The festival is not just about listening to speeches. It is a fully immersive experience designed to deliver practical value. Across eight dedicated stages, more than 100 sessions will run over three days. These range from high-level keynotes to deep-dive industry sessions, all designed to provide practical insight, strategic perspective, and real-world application.
One of the most valuable features is ATF Connect, the festival’s one-to-one meeting service. This connects technology solution providers with the people who matter most, through pre-arranged, high-value meetings with a precisely defined audience. Meetings take place in a dedicated area onsite, ensuring meaningful conversations that drive real business impact.
The Leaders in Africa Summit is an invitation-only gathering of senior executives, policymakers, and innovators shaping Africa’s digital future. Through curated discussions, closed-door roundtables, and meaningful peer connections, the summit creates space for honest conversations, strategic collaboration, and actionable outcomes.
The Ministerial Summit, now in its third year, convenes a VIP audience drawn from national governments across Africa, regulators, major development finance institutions, and C-suite leadership from the private sector. This is where policy meets practice, and where the biggest issues shaping Africa’s digital economy are addressed.
For those who want hands-on learning, the Masterclass Programme offers 60-minute, expert-led sessions designed to show exactly how to implement new technologies within an organisation. These sessions offer a more focused, interactive environment, giving participants the space to dive deeper, ask questions, and leave with actionable takeaways.
The Africa Tech Festival Awards celebrate the most innovative and impactful tech achievements across the continent. The winners will be announced live at a ceremony in Cape Town on 18 November. This is an evening that honours groundbreaking digital transformation and recognises the individuals and organisations shaping the future of African technology.
An Experience Beyond the Conference Hall
The festival also understands that relationships are built outside the formal sessions. Afest, the official networking event, returns to Cape Town’s iconic Grand Africa Café and Beach. This is where deals move faster, conversations go deeper, and connections turn into partnerships. It is more than a party. It is where the real business of relationship-building happens.
The Market Square provides a vibrant and dynamic zone dedicated to African SMEs, fintechs, and startups. This gives smaller businesses an accessible platform to connect with potential partners, demonstrate their innovations, and boost their visibility within the wider tech ecosystem.
For young people looking to enter the technology industry, the NextGen Talent Day empowers Africa’s future leaders by bringing together top young tech minds from across the continent and connecting them with leading employers. This helps grow digital skills and strengthen talent pipelines for the future.
How to Be Part of It
Registration for the Africa Tech Festival 2026 is now open. General registration can be completed through the official portal. For organisations that want to bring a team, group discounts are available. Registering three to five colleagues from the same company earns a ten per cent discount, six to nine colleagues earn a twenty-five per cent discount, and ten or more colleagues earn a thirty per cent discount.
South Africa’s Department of Communications and Digital Technologies is a strategic partner of the event. Minister Malatsi has expressed his pride in hosting an event that not only strengthens partnerships but advances a shared vision of an inclusive, connected, and globally competitive African digital economy.
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A Defining Moment for Africa’s Digital Future
The 29th edition of the Africa Tech Festival is more than a technology conference. It is a defining moment for the continent’s digital future. As Africa’s digital economy continues to attract global investment and attention, this festival showcases the continent’s capabilities and leadership while connecting African stakeholders with international investors, technology companies, and policymakers.
Whether you are a decision-maker looking to shape strategy, an innovator seeking investment, or an organisation ready to put your brand in front of the continent’s most influential technology leaders, this is the event for you. The conversations that happen in Cape Town this November will echo across the continent for years to come. Africa’s digital future is being built now, and the Africa Tech Festival 2026 is where it all comes together.
